Golden Horn and Schiaparelli won the two prizes for National Hunt stallions at the 11th annual TBA NH Breeders’ Awards on Monday evening.
Golden Horn, sire of the Champion Hurdler Golden Ace and the Triumph Hurdle winner Poniros at this year’s Cheltenham Festival, won the Whitbread Silver Salver for the leading active British-based stallion of the 2024/25 season.
Receiving the award, his owner Jayne McGivern said, “I wanted to own a stallion, but it seemed impossible to find the sort of stallion that I wanted for National Hunt. And we looked at a couple and eventually I said, actually this is the one I want, and we’ll wait for him. And we did wait for him.
“There was competition and I’m immensely grateful to Mr Oppenheimer to trust me with his horse. He bred him, he loved him, he owes Mr Oppenheimer not one dollar. But more than anything else, I think it’s because he wanted the very best for his horse. And I wanted to keep the horse in the United Kingdom for British breeders and on that we aligned. And that is how I got Golden Horn. And it’s my life’s privilege just to look at him, let alone own him.”
She paid tribute to all the breeders who have used Golden Horn, adding, “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate every single one of you who support him. I wanted him in Britain for British breeders. I hope I’m giving you good value for British breeding. And it’s wonderful that he’s here for us all.”
For the fifth time, the Horse & Hound Cup for the leading active British-based National Hunt stallion by individual steeplechase winners in Britain & Ireland was won by Schiaparelli, whose daughter Marsh Wren was a Listed winner over fences at Market Rasen in November. Schiaparelli’s grey son Numitor won three races this season to take his tally to 11 wins from 29 starts for breeder/trainer Heather Main.
There were also awards for Jackie Chugg and her late and much missed husband Robert as breeders of Kayf Tara’s The New Lion, who received the Overbury Stud Trophy for the leading novice hurdler of the season. The New Lion’s dam Rateira, resident of Jackie Chugg’s Little Lodge Stud, received the Dudgeon Cup, sponsored by Batsford Stud, as National Hunt Broodmare of the Year.
We would also like to extend our congratulations to Alan Varey, our Gloucestershire neighbour at Batsford Stud, who was awarded the Queen Mother’s Silver Salver in special recognition of his long and distinguished career in racing and breeding.
